The Calling
by Supertemporal Virtue
Summary: (An entry in Rapidfyrez's Original Character Tournament.) When Station S-6-S calls for the greatest warriors in the multiverse once again, who in the galaxy will answer?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

**Greetings, corporeal souls and metaphysical entities (must not exclude any invisible and/or intangible beings, since they have the full right to be acknowledged, too)! As stated in the summary, this is an entry for an OCT run by Rapidfyrez, the first of its kind on this site. The chapter below is the backstory for my OC entry, whose character sheet for the competition is posted on Rapidfyrez's profile page. This story will be updated as the tournament progresses, with different competitors' OCs being featured in different chapters. For more information on the established rules and details of the OCT, visit Rapidfyrez's profile page and give him more profile pageviews. Rapidfyrez will totally appreciate it.**

**Now, about the story itself: this takes place in a minorly altered timeline in which the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was expanded before the Great Hyperspace War, not after. The alteration does not affect the future events of this story, and it only explains why the Temple had the structure it has in this story. But none of you (well, okay, maybe 0.01%, you glorious pedants) would even have noticed or cared if I didn't point that out. Meh, whatever. ONWARD!**

* * *

The flames encased within the crystals were marvelous to behold. Leaping, dancing, blazing, shining symbols of life itself, in all its splendor and potent glory. Flickering, swirling, glowing, whispering reminders of the soul's mystic presence. A splash of sunset orange, a wisp of electrified cerulean, a cloud of nebular purple, constantly blending and evolving and displaying life's own fluctuations. The radiant, eternal lights evoked hope and inspiration in the constancy of the spirit while uniting all those who gazed upon the shifting blazes with reverence and awe.

Aer watched the Healing Crystals of Fire for a moment more before turning to face the other figures in the meditation chamber. Sending apprentice healers to retrieve some of the Temple's greatest treasures? And during the midst of combat against a ridiculously massive enemy fleet? The Circle of Healers truly must have been desperate. Or miserably understaffed. Either way, it had not resulted in the most sensible of decisions the Circle had ever made. Judging by their expressions, the other apprentices seemed to agree. Aer could also discern the apprentices' concurrence by their unconsciously transmitted emotions. Although being in the presence of the Healing Crystals was inspiring, feelings of uncertainty, hesitation, and unworthiness still flitted through their thoughts. "_What if the Circle had too much faith in us?"_ It certainly was possible, even likely, if one considered the disturbing lack of finesse found in this certain group of apprentices.

The group leader, an Iktotchi senior apprentice by the name of Nyx who was a fellow telepath of Aer's, spoke up. "Well, no matter how miserably uncoordinated we all are, I think we're physically capable of carrying some magic rocks across a hallway or two without breaking them. The Circle has acknowledged the fact that we've finally learned how to walk without falling every other step, so let's utilize this great and wondrous new ability to bring the Circle their magic rocks and save some lives!" She picked up a Healing Crystal carefully and began walking out of the meditation chamber. "Stop wallowing in self-doubt and start being confident, my friends. Let's get to work!"

_"'Magic rocks.' Elegantly phrased, Nyx, elegantly phrased,"_ Aer projected with a touch of amusement, gently cradling a Healing Crystal in her arms.

Nyx returned the amusement along with _"Language at its finest, of course."_ She led the crystal-bearing group through the first corridor, dimly illuminated by emergency-level lighting to conserve power, and up to the main turbolift of the Halls of Healing. The lift's floor indicator showed that it was descending slowly from a higher level. Fumbling with his Healing Crystal, the apprentice closest to the lift's control panel pressed the overused express-summon button, and the numbers on the floor indicator decreased at a greater rate. The chattering amongst the apprentices increased in volume as the waiting continued.

The Quarren apprentice carrying the group's shared comlink nearly dropped his crystal when the comlink activated. Precariously holding the crystal with one arm, he held out the device with the other for all to hear. "The bacta tanks' power generators on GL-46 are in need of vital maintenance. If you are near the generators and have the training to perform such repairs, please proceed there immediately. Prompt action is needed."

Nyx looked around at the group. "Are any of you secretly members of the Temple's maintenance crew?" she joked. "Hiding as a lowly apprentice healer to shirk duty, maybe?"

"I thought it was so terribly obvious that I'm a secret member of the maintenance crew," Aer cheerfully quipped. "But actually, I do believe I know how to repair the generators. I had a spacecraft mechanics lesson scheduled for today, before I had any idea we would be involved in this ridiculous mess of a battle. Most spacecraft engines and power generators have a similar basic structure and can be repaired with the same tools, which I very conveniently have with me right now."

"Should've known that you'd be taking spacecraft mechanics," Nyx remarked. "You're our resident traveling-healer-wannabe. Just can't deal with us non-spacefaring types, can you?" she laughed. "Well, if you must leave now, my friend, then go forth and save the Temple in your own heroic way while we gallantly guard these 'magic rocks' on their treacherous voyage up a turbolift and through a hallway." She took the Healing Crystal from Aer's arms as the lift doors opened. "I should be able to bring two of these back without horrifically damaging either. May the Force be with you on your noble quest!"

Aer grandly mock-saluted as the apprentices boarded the lift. "And may the Force be with you on your valiant journey through such perilous terrain!" As the overcrowded turbolift's doors closed, Aer thought she saw Nyx nearly drop her "magic rocks" on a poor Aleena apprentice. "I truly believe you'll need it."

* * *

The repair turbolift leading to the generators did not stop on the floor where the Healing Crystals were kept. The main lift was being occupied by a horde of butterfingered healers-in-training who were traveling in the opposite direction of the generator floor. All other lifts that stopped on Aer's current level were in use, presumably by frantic medics rushing in wounded Republic soldiers. It struck Aer that Nyx's lighthearted banter may have been a way distract the newer apprentices, Aer included, from the grim reality of war as she descended level upon level of seldom-used staircases. Nyx sent a mental confirmation of the Healing Crystals' safe arrival, along with a side message: _"Also, you're the only one who has embarked upon the intrepid quest to save the generators from their impending doom. Thought you'd like to know that the pressure's all on you to breathe life back into them. I've notified the Circle of your departure, and they say that you have approximately 38 standard minutes to boost generator functionality to at least half-efficiency before the bacta tanks' life support begins shutting down."_

38 standard minutes. Great. It would take at least 5 standard minutes to reach the generators, and identifying the areas needing repair would take another 5 or so. 28 standard minutes to repair multiple generators? Aer would truly need the Force to be with her during this "noble quest." 5 floors left… now 4… now 3… now 2… now just one more… and…

…Oh, _kriff_, this level was dark. The staircases had been dim enough, and now this? Aer could barely see her hands when she held them right before her eyes. Eyes… wait… Aer thought of as many humanoid species with eyes operational in low lighting as she could. Nish? Nautolans? Chiss? The Chiss species was quite physiologically similar to her current Human form; Aer could change only her optical system to that of a Chiss' and retain a Human appearance for the rest of her body if she wished. Skinshifting entirely to a Chiss form would be faster than isolating a single system and altering its neural pathways, though. Conserving time was crucial for mission success, so it would have to be a full transformation then.

Very few standard seconds elapsed before the shift was completed. The hallways suddenly became visible, a welcome relief. Aer noticed the many exposed wires and power lines running along the ceiling and branching off in all directions. None of the power lines stemming from the direction of the generators were glowing. Well, that was troubling. Following the main lines, Aer reached the bacta tanks' generator room and began inspection.

A broken linkage, a worn-down plasma coupling, and a few loose parts. Perhaps the Force was with Aer after all. Just as predicted, 28 standard minutes were left for the repairs. However, the problem was simpler than expected, and what seemed like a constraining time limit suddenly turned into a fully adequate one. After rolling up her robe's sleeves, Aer shifted the now-blue skin on her left arm to retrieve the repair tools she had stored there. The action would have appeared rather disturbing to a non-Shi'ido observer, but to a skinshifting species, it was a perfectly logical way of freeing one's hands for carrying objects that required more delicate handling. For example, the "magic rocks." Aer first secured the loose parts with a hydrospanner and reconnected the linkage with a macrofuser before moving on to the plasma coupling. It would take some jury-rigging to fix that, since there didn't seem to be any spare plasma couplings nearby. 17 standard minutes left. Welding the edges down didn't seem to help. 15 standard minutes left. Neither did adding scrap metal reinforcement bars. 11 standard minutes left. Uh, scrap metal reinforcement _sheets_? 6 standard minutes. Skrag. Aer decided to forego all her mechanics teachings and just entirely weld over the coupling and its reinforcements with more metal. 5 standard minutes. 4 standard minutes. Maybe some mesh tape, too, for good measure. 3 standard minutes. 2 standard minutes. And… done! Well, wonder of all wonders, it actually worked. Somewhat. The generators' power production had already been raised slightly by the smaller repairs, but it was the "I-don't-have-a-blasted-clue-what-else-to-do" welding of the coupling combined with the wonderful versatility of mesh tape that brought the generators above the half-efficiency mark.

Aer looked over her handiwork one last time. It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing repair, but it would last until the maintenance crew could replace the makeshift parts. The bacta tanks could remain operational, at least, which would save the wounded Republic soldiers who needed to use them. Her "noble quest" having been completed, Aer could now head back up to civilization and take up space while the trained healers treated all the injured. To find the repair lift in this lightless labyrinth of hallways, she would have to follow the turbolift line running alongside the now-glowing bacta generators' power lines. Interestingly, there were _two_ lines, each branching off from the line of the Temple's main generators and leading down different hallways. As far as Aer knew, there was only one lift, the repair lift, that stopped on GL-46. Well, might as well pick one to follow and see where it would lead.

* * *

Aer couldn't tell if this was the repair lift or not. All of the Temple's lifts excluding the main one had the same outward design, and they were typically left unlabeled. The countless turns Aer had made down corridor after corridor had completely scrambled her sense of direction, so she wasn't certain that this was close to where she recalled the repair lift being located. Aer was pretty sure the repair lift would not be positioned so far away from the generators, but if she didn't check and that assumption proved to be wrong, she'd have a lot of running back and forth to do. Still, it would be an improvement from taking the stairs up the entire way. That would take all of eternity and more, considering the sheer number of floors the Temple had. _Here goes nothing._ Aer pressed the lift's summon button and waited.

It took longer than usual for the turbolift to arrive. Then again, "usual" was the time it would take using the express-summon feature, so maybe the lift was normal after all. Actually, no, the lift was most certainly _not_ normal, now that Aer looked at its interior. The style of the lift had been popular quite a long time ago, several hundred years at the very least. An impressively long time for a lift to remain operational, especially one so seemingly seldom-frequented. The floor numbers appeared to correlate with the Temple's current numbering system, though. If Aer took this lift up to GL-37, she would be able to transfer to the apprentice dormitories' lift, which shouldn't be in use right now. Entering the antiquated compartment, Aer selected GL-37 as her destination and began traveling down.

…If GL-37 was _above_ the generators' floor, then why was the lift descending? More than a bit unsettled at this point, Aer thought of the possibilities. The lift was broken. Perhaps, given the age of the machine. The buttons were labeled incorrectly. That would be a plausible, albeit unlikely, reason. Or… horrible realization sunk in… the labels _were_ correct. Hundreds of years ago, when the ground level of Coruscant had been lower. So the floor 37 levels below the current ground level would not match up with the floor 37 levels below the ground level when the lift was installed. Splendid. Well, there was no emergency stop button, and using a burst of telekinesis might just result in the lift getting stuck between levels. Aer didn't want to deal with the unfortunate situation that would ensue with _that_, so waiting to decide on a course of action until the lift stopped at the old GL-37 it was, then.

Thankfully, Aer had remained in Chiss form in the turbolift, since the former GL-37 was just as dark as the current GL-46. Probably even darker, since there was no light from generator power lines here. Strange. The lift was powered, but the rest of the level was not? This floor must not have been used in ages. That was understandable, though; this place was so deep down, the stairs didn't even reach the floor ten levels above this. Aer was about to close the lift doors and go back up to GL-46 when another wave of horrible realization came crashing onto the shores of her awareness. She didn't know which level the generators were on using the outdated numbering system. And even if she did, the lift's labels only went up to GL-37. It hadn't been worrying when Aer had first boarded; GL-46 had been one of the labeled buttons. Selecting that button now would just take her farther down from civilization. The question was, why would someone design a lift to be a one-way trip down?

The more Aer inspected her surroundings, the eerier her situation seemed. The terror-enhancing darkness, the decrepit and desolate hallways, the enigmatically rigged turbolift – all contributed to the spine-chilling setting. Nyx and any other telepaths in the temple were out of Aer's telepathic range, cutting off her communication with the Temple. Not that calling for help would be a good decision right now; the Republic was engaged in battle on its home soil, and forcing them to organize an elaborate rescue mission capable of bypassing the lift pitfall wouldn't help their cause. But if she waited for the Temple to send out a search mission in their own due time, it would take weeks at the very least. In the turmoil of battle, Aer's absence would not be noticed until several days later, possibly longer if the battle raged on into the next few days. And if the Republic lost… Aer didn't want to continue down that path of thought.

Well, she should probably do _something_ other than just sitting down and letting starvation and dehydration run their course. Aer could evade asphyxiation by shifting into a species that didn't require oxygen for survival, but eventually some factor or other would cause her to become one with the Force. If only she were older! Then Aer would be able to shift into a greater variety of species, some with enhanced telepathy or increased resilience. And if she were older, she would have been training for longer in the ways of the Force. Perhaps she would then be able to use telekinesis to bring the lift back up to GL-46. Maybe she would have been wise enough to stay away from mysterious turbolifts and choose the stairs instead, no matter how long it would take. Aer felt incredibly young and foolish, now that she had inadvertently bought herself all the time she could ever want for self-reflection. But no matter how badly taking chances had ended up for Aer before, she was going to make a shot in the dark again. Staying still and hoping for rescue had virtually no chance of success, while searching for another means of escape using the resources on these abandoned floors increased that chance marginally. Aer would certainly take that small improvement of statistics. If she conserved her energy and returned to the lift every night just in case rescue came while she slept, Aer should be able to search for a few days. She wholeheartedly hoped that the Force would be with her during that time.

* * *

The remainder of the first day Aer searched the rest of the former GL-37, which she renamed FGL-37 for distinction. Just as Aer had originally presumed, the entire floor was powerless save for the lift. Intriguingly, in one of the corridors there had been a structure that looked like a filled-in lift shaft. Originally thinking that the shaft might only be blocked by a thin layer of permacrete, Aer had tried to cut through the filling with her lightsaber, only to get a face full of dust when the severed chunk fell onto the ground to reveal more permacrete behind it. FGL-37 also had a door leading to a stairwell, but the steps themselves were no longer present. The stairwell ended three or four floors above FGL-37, but the entrances to those floors were also sealed by permacrete. Closer to the bottom of the stairwell there appeared to be stairs, though their structural integrity at this point would be highly questionable and probably would not support a direct impact. Besides, the jump down would be from far too great a height to land safely, and Aer's flight-capable forms would be unable to fly in the confined space. Tomorrow, she could take the lift down further and see if the stairs led anywhere while she examined the lower levels for useful tools and supplies.

On day two at 18:23 hours according to her wristwatch, Aer suddenly sensed a stronger Force presence below while on FGL-42, the lowest level she had explored thus far. None of the other floors had yielded any findings yet, so the discovery had been quite startling. Aer almost dropped the prybar she had been using to manually open the powerless blast doors when the sensation hit her. By traveling to the origin of the presence Aer could enhance her telepathic perception and transmission to the point where she could clearly sense the events above. If the battle ended in a Republic victory and the Jedi were not overly preoccupied with more pressing matters, she could send out a request for help. It was too late to begin the trek down and start searching for the source of the presence, so Aer decided upon merely traveling to the lowest level the lift could take her, FGL-63, and resting there. The stairs, if they proved to be sound enough to bear weight, could be explored tomorrow as a possible route down.

Aer woke up on the day three to a burning thirst in her throat. Yesterday she had drawn on the Force for sustenance to aid her throughout the day, but the biological need for water could not be suppressed for much longer. If Aer did not seek out the center of the Force presence today, she might not get the chance tomorrow. Thankfully, the presence was more detectible at this depth, making zeroing in on the target simpler. It seemed to be located directly below the Temple, maybe only a few floors deeper, judging by how strong the presence was here. Aer could already sense the surface more clearly than she could 21 floors up.

The stairs proved to be stable enough, although they did move a bit too much for comfort when Aer stepped on them. Peering over the railing at the FGL-63 landing, the stairway could be seen for another ten or so floors before being obscured from view. Aer could follow the guidance of the Force to reach the presence without relying on her vision at this point. While a Chiss form had certainly proved invaluable over the last two days due to its low-light vision and increased strength for prying open blast doors, it had a higher metabolism than a Human form and took more energy to maintain. Every little bit of energy was vital at this point, so Aer shifted back into a Human and let the darkness envelop her. Closing her eyes made no difference to her vision, but if she concentrated now, she could "see" the Force directing her towards the heart of the presence. To Aer it seemed as if the path were illuminated by a candle-like glow, filling her with warmth and confidence much like the Healing Crystals of Fire had. Through the past hours Aer had been determined to find a way out, but she had also been worried about her dwindling energy reserves and slightly scared at the prospect of death, even if she knew it only meant reuniting with the Force. But now, with the comforting "light" around her, Aer felt at ease, just as if the parents she vaguely remembered were embracing her once again and telling her that everything would be alright. With that reassuring thought in mind, Aer began following the path that the Force had shown her.

After going down 7 floors on the stairs, the path led through the FGL-70 door and directly down the main corridor before making a right at the other side of the floor. From what Aer could "see" by the Force's illumination, this floor was filled with meditation chambers. Unusual, since meditation chambers were typically located closer to the surface, but perhaps the proximity of the Force presence made meditation more effective here. As Aer turned right and "looked" down the second hallway, she detected a path to an additional section of the floor, one that had not been present on any other floors she had examined. The section contained a corridor that soon narrowed to a dirt passageway supported by durasteel framework. Incredible. This floor was so deep down that it actually was below Coruscant's natural ground level, not just the constantly increasing "ground level" created by the layers and layers of metal encasing the planet entirely. Following the Force through the passageway, Aer found that the tunnel gently sloped downward and spiraled back towards the center of the Temple. However, since the tunnel did not intersect with any other floors as it looped back, Aer concluded that it led below even the lowest level of the Temple. The Jedi hundreds or even thousands of years past must have built their lowest floor, sensed the presence, and then added a tunnel to reach it. Now that Aer was retracing their ancient journeys, she briefly wondered if they could sense her approaching the presence, since it was a concentrated area of Force energy and they were one with the Force and all that spiritual-ish stuff.

The passageway ended at a thick stone slab that blocked off whatever was behind it. Perhaps it was intuition, perhaps it was the Force, but Aer got the feeling that the slab was just a door and could be opened. If her knowledge of mysteriously placed pressure-operated doors was correct, there should be a point on the slab to press, triggering a hidden pressure plate that would cause the slab to move aside. The upper right corner of the slab seemed to glow more brightly than the rest. Aer lightly pushed that corner and, almost instantly, the slab slid back and to the side, revealing…

…A colossal chamber, its ceiling arching hundreds of standard meters high and its bottom gently sloping downwards to form a shallow basin. The floor was packed dirt, like the floor of the passageway but without any durasteel supports. The walls were made of the same thick stone as the door, and they curved gradually to create a domed ceiling. Durasteel framework lined parts of the walls, but it seemed as if the layer of stone was sound enough to stand alone. But the most remarkable part of the chamber was how _saturated_ with the Force it was. As soon as Aer had opened the door, the most powerful Force energy she had ever felt engulfed her. Even though it would appear pitch black in one's vision, the chamber absolutely radiated brightness in the spiritual realm. Aer understood now that this was not merely a stronger Force presence; it was an outright Force nexus, a mystical source of near-limitless Force energy found in exceedingly few places. It was fitting that there would be a nexus near the Jedi Temple, but why would such a potent concentration of Force energy only be apparent in its very lowest layers?

The walls. They encased the chamber, probably in all directions, and could have been specially treated to contain the nexus' energy. Wait. If the walls blocked Force energy from traveling far, then Aer's telepathy might not reach high enough. She focused on the surface. Her enhanced perception did not seem to be limited by the walls, as Aer could see the aftermath of the battle as clearly as if she were standing on the Temple steps. It looked to be a Republic victory, to her relief. Aer could sense the minds of Nyx and other Jedi telepaths, but, as predicted, she could not reach out and send a message to any. It was like being a ghost, being able to see the living but not being able to communicate, to tell the world of one's presence. Aer attempted to reach someone while standing right outside the open stone door, but, alas, the energy there was just the slightest bit too weak to enhance her telepathic range far enough.

Under normal circumstances Aer would have despaired at having her last hope of escape cut off. However, with the Force backing her, she did not feel devastated or helpless; instead, she focused on finding any other solution, any other way to resist giving up and letting the life flow out of her. Hmm… There was one last way to survive, but it would involve lowering the already-microscopic chance of rescue Aer had left. Entering an extremely deep healing trance, almost to the point of suspended animation, would enable her to hibernate for up to a year, drawing sustenance from this Force-imbued location. In the trance Aer would not be able to telepathically communicate with potential rescuers even if they were standing right beside her, and her vital readings would drop below the point of their detection. If the rescuers were still searching for Aer after a year and somehow managed to traverse the unlit maze of lifts and passages to find her, they would have to bring her seemingly-lifeless body to a master healer in order to wake her. If a single one of those actions were not performed, Aer would be unable to leave her trance even when the Force could no longer sustain her, turning her temporary sleep into a… more permanent one.

Just like before, it was still a choice between certain death and less-certain death. Aer could perceive that no one had become suspicious by her absence yet. If she chose not to enter a healing trance, no rescue would come before dehydration was proclaimed the victor. Less certain death it was, once again. Aer sat down and took what could quite possibly be her last "look" around using the Force. The beautiful, brilliant room could very well be her deathbed, but in the nexus she was at peace with that, knowing now how comforting joining the Force would be if that scenario did eventually occur. One final breath. One final thought. _May the Force be with me during all of this_. Then Aer focused on letting the Force flow through her, stilling everything in its wake.

* * *

Something wasn't right.

Aer was still aware of her surroundings. But she was obviously in a trance; her heart was faintly beating, but she could not move her body. One's spirit was supposed to hibernate along with one's physical form during a trance, so why could Aer still think?

_"Young one, you are not in a trance, at least not the type you attempted to enter,"_ a spectral voice answered to her unspoken question.

...Aer was really, really confused right now.

_"Look around with the Force,"_ the voice gently encouraged.

Might as well listen to the disembodied voice and hope to become less confused, she reasoned. With surprisingly little effort, Aer was able to open her mind and see through the Force. The chamber still looked the same, although its light had taken on a pronouncedly bluer coloration, and the stone door was still open. Aer was still sitting cross-legged in a Human meditative position, her body also emitting the bluish glow. Her eyes remained closed, and – how could she be looking at her own face?

Dreading what she might see, Aer looked down. A brighter version of the glowing robes that the sedentary figure before her was wearing. A beam of blue light – wow, her lightsaber, or at least its hilt, really was connected to the Force. Her tools and belt were still present, though they, too, were affected by the blue filter. But as Aer inspected this version of herself, she realized she could see the ground below her through her boots. _Transparency?!_ Could she have died and become a Force ghost already?

_"You are one with the Force, Aer, but you are not dead,"_ The voice maintained its soothing tone. Aer focused on looking around for the owner of the voice. Besides her a blue and ghostly Celegian Jedi was floating within an equally blue and ghostly cyanogen tank. He must have been communicating with Aer telepathically, then. The Celegian looked just as transparent as her current form, and Aer knew for certain that even if she was not dead, this spirit certainly was.

_"Master Ooroo? Is that you?" _Aer sent out. Master Ooroo had been one of the casualties earlier in the war, having sacrificed himself on Koros Major to prevent the Sith from massacring Republic troops.

_"Yes, young one. Allow me to explain your undoubtedly perplexing situation. Though your physical form is alive, your spirit will still take on a ghostly form. Your intention of entering a deep healing trance was bolstered by the incredible amount of Force energy here, Aer, causing you to unknowingly utilize the advanced technique of _morichro _instead."_ Master Ooroo paused for a moment to allow his words to sink in._ "Under normal circumstances one could survive for years in the trance _morichro_ causes, drawing upon the Force. However, young one, since you entered your trance in such a Force-concentrated area, your physical form is capable of hibernating indefinitely, much like it could in a stasis field. Entering a trance using _morichro_ leaves the mind and spirit capable of operating separately from the dormant body in a state between life and death. Your incorporeal form has manifested itself as a Force spirit to allow this, also enabling you to communicate with those who have already joined the Force."_

Aer mulled over that for a moment and then asked, _"Can I wake up from a _morichro_ trance?"_

Master Ooroo sent out what seemed to be a sigh. _"Alas, young one, leaving a trance caused by _morichro_ is much more difficult than entering one. The very technique of _morichro_ was designed to keep opponents who had not yet learned the technique in a subdued state for as long as the wielder chose. Though you can enter a trance without training, you will be unable to exit, even if you master the proper technique during your trance. However, since your trance was brought on by yourself and not by an opponent, your body will be able to wake up if it no longer has sustenance or is endangered by an outside cause. If you wish, I can teach you how to properly utilize _morichro_ so that you can prevent this situation from happening again after you reawaken."_

It seemed to Aer that Master Ooroo was being quite optimistic, believing that she would ever reawaken, but he _was_ much wiser than her, so perhaps his optimism was valid. _"I would quite appreciate that, Master Ooroo. Could you answer some of my questions about this entire situation first, though?"_

_"Of course, young one. I may not be able to answer every question, but you can ask the other spirits or even find the answer within the Force if that occurs. I am sure you will have many more questions later that can be answered through your own means as you grow wiser."_

And so Aer's education continued in this pseudo-afterlife. With the tutelage of Master Ooroo and the many other masters who had joined the Force at various times in galactic history, Aer learned the different forms of lightsaber combat, the different techniques for healing a patient using the Force alone, the different methods of diplomacy to prevent war, and much more. Aside from her Jedi training, she studied scholarly topics, such as the sciences and the histories and the languages of the galaxy. Another Shi'ido Jedi, who had lived through the Hundred-Year Darkness, taught Aer about an entire range of their species' natural abilities that she had never known before and how to enhance those abilities with the Force. One trait that would prove quite useful over the following millennia was the mental ability to categorize all information and recall any portion of it at will. The Shi'ido had evolved that ability in order to remember the complex workings of the thousands, sometimes even millions, of species they could shift into, but Aer could also use it to remember her indefinitely ongoing years of learning.

Aer also gained proficiency in controlling her spectral form's abilities while her physical body remained behind. Although her tangible form could not move from its position on the chamber's floor, her mind could travel all around the galaxy to wherever the Force was present. Aer could sit in the Ossus Archives and read through the databases, using the Force to look into the data stream directly. In the Temple's training facilities she could practice her lightsaber maneuvers and meditation stances, though Aer was uncertain that she would be able to retain the skill level she had achieved spiritually if she ever returned to her corporeal self. Or she could enter Senate meetings, learn about upcoming galactic events, and travel to their locations to watch history being written. It was a degree of intellectual freedom the likes of which Aer had never known before, and it truly turned her time of spiritual imprisonment into one of spiritual opportunity.

While poring through the Archives, Aer's interest was piqued by brief mentions of a space station, S-6-S, on the very fringe of existence itself. It was rumored to gather the greatest warriors of all the multiverse for a battle or tournament every half-century. Aer had not sensed any disappearances from this galaxy during her centuries connected to the Force, but the older spirits assured her of the station's existence. Some Jedi even claimed to have participated in the station's challenge. They mentioned beings from other galaxies and even other universes, beings with powers and appearances so strange that not even Sith alchemists could have created them. They mentioned a hideous creature who inhabited Station S-6-S, a powerful force of evil known as the Caretaker. They mentioned the abnormal presence of the Force at the station, though Aer was strangely unable to ever see it though the Force. And they mentioned an oath of secrecy, sworn with magic so powerful that it lasted beyond death, which prevented them from disclosing any more information to those who had never visited the station. They could tell nothing about winning the tournament and nothing about dying in it. Station S-6-S seemed absolutely determined to remain a legend to all but a select few.

Aer continued searching the Archives for information about Station S-6-S, but she did not find anything other than what the Jedi participants had already told her before the Ossus Archives were destroyed. If she managed to return to her body, Aer had a feeling she would be one of the "greatest warriors" called. Her physical body had already resided in a Force nexus for over a millennium and would probably continue to do so for several more before she could be awakened, if that ever would happen. Aer had learned from the masters during her training that objects left in a nexus for extended amounts of time would become permeated with the Force, granting them special abilities and powers. A Force-user left in a nexus would, too, gain heightened Force abilities from being saturated with the Force. When Aer used the Force to sense her physical form now, it glowed nearly as brightly as the chamber containing the nexus. Her psionic powers had also increased noticeably, though Aer didn't know whether that was caused by her training or the nexus. Due to her Force abilities and her immense storage of knowledge, Aer would be considered a very dangerous warrior even though she had the mindset of a healer and the body of… well, the body of someone who'd been immobile for thousands of years. If the station ever chose her, Aer vowed to willingly go along and attempt to save as many of the other worthy warriors' lives as possible, even at the cost of her own. She had lived long enough, hadn't she?

* * *

The war against the Sith became known as the Great Hyperspace War. Though the Sith were defeated and forced back into hiding, they attacked again and again over the next four millennia. The Third Great Schism. The Great Galactic War. The New Sith Wars. The Republic Dark Age. Finally, at the Battle of Ruusan, the killing spree was stopped, and the galaxy entered a period of relative peace (but also apathy) that lasted for nearly one thousand years. Then came the Invasion of Naboo. The Battle of Geonosis. The Clone Wars. And, finally, the Jedi Purge. The worst mass annihilation of Force-users Aer had ever lived through. Though an increased number of spirits had become one with the Force in every conflict, the Purge was the only one to have reduced the total number of Jedi by nearly 100 percent. For the first time in countless millennia, the Jedi Temple was no longer a Republic power. Not that it would have mattered; the Galactic Empire had taken over the Republic, too. 19 years of darkness, of plotting. Then, as with all tyrannical regimes, a rebellion arose. The Battle of Yavin. The Battle of Hoth. The Battle of Endor. A Sith's defeat. A father's redemption. A son's return. It was the Galactic Civil War, the time when the Empire fell, and the New Republic rose. Soon after, the New Jedi Order formed. But a different darkness lurked in the galaxy, one that defied the Force altogether. The Yuuzhan Vong. Invading, plundering, pillaging, destroying, they advanced steadily through the galaxy until they finally reached its heart: Coruscant.

* * *

Five thousand years had passed since Aer had been sent to repair power generators. Five thousand years since she had rashly chosen to take a mysterious turbolift. Five thousand years since she had first sensed the presence. Five thousand years since she had entered the Force nexus. Five thousand years since she had gone into suspended animation. And now, five thousand years later, Aer would finally reawaken.

Aer had been watching the Yuuzhan Vong advancement during the past few years. Recently they had conquered Coruscant, renaming it Yuuzhan'tar after their home planet. When they began to terraform Coruscant to make it resemble Yuuzhan'tar in more than just name, Aer knew that, finally, her return to the land of the living was nigh. She renewed her efforts to learn as much as possible before leaving the spirit realm. One fateful day, 28 years after the Battle of Yavin, a section of the chamber's ceiling caved in under the pressure of terraformation and fell beside Aer. It was enough "endangerment by an outside cause" to set off a change of everything. The seated figure jolted abruptly, then shakily stood up for the first time in millennia.

As Aer rose, the shimmering outline of a holoscreen materialized before her, glowing Basic letters scrawled across its surface. It took Aer a moment to focus her long-disused eyes on the letters. They were the only visible things to Human eyes in the lightless nexus. _"Just in time! I was beginning to think I'd have to return in another 50 years if you didn't wake up soon. Since I know you've already agreed to come along and visit me for a little while, let's skip the formalities and save us some time." _Another faint outline, this time one of an oblong doorway through which only more darkness could be seen, materialized behind Aer. It seemed her method of transportation would be a portal. _"Shall we meet at my lovely station, then?"_

Aer slowly nodded at the holoscreen, which then erased the letters from its display and winked out of existence. A deep breath, a wave of strength and reassurance from the Force spirits in the chamber. Then Aer, straightening her posture, turned to face the enchanted doorway and walked through to the Caretaker's lair.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**This concludes the backstory portion of this work. In the following chapter the first round of fighting shall commence.**

****I must state that p**ossession of the universe known to you as _Star Wars_ is not within my realm. The wonder and glory of the multiverse is to be shared among its inhabitants, not controlled.******

**...Gosh, why am I being so serious? Joy, the prologue hath been written, and now the times of dramatic (or not-so-dramatic...) face-offs will begin! Let us begin watching people fight to the death like the depraved and violent creatures we are!**


	2. Round One

**Author's Note:**

**In this chapter Aer faces the warriors of Vormund Der Kukens' and Beschutzer, both from the _Gargoyles_ universe. For their character sheet and backstory, visit Riyappe Paws's profile page.**

* * *

_Gah, light._ The portal had seemed to lead into more darkness, but, apparently, that was not the case. Even though her surroundings were only dimly illuminated, it felt to Aer as if she had walked into an imploding star. The doorway had dematerialized when she had fully passed through, preventing an immediate return to the wonderful darkness of the nexus' chamber. Aer was left unsteadily standing aboard the mysterious Station S-6-S to examine her drastically different surroundings.

…Actually, the station didn't look too unfamiliar at all. In fact, from what parts of it Aer could see, it bore an eerie resemblance to the lowest floors of the Jedi Temple. Run-down corridors and decrepit rooms? Check. Ridiculously convoluted passages and a labyrinth of halls? Check. Random objects of questionable origin scattered all over to act as tripping hazards? Check. Well, it was just like home sweet home. As a spirit Aer had passed through the Temple's depths countless times in order to plan an escape route to the surface if she ever awoke and was not taken to Station S-6-S immediately. Her surroundings here would have fit near-perfectly with the Temple's environment. The only main difference between the two that Aer had detected so far was the faint light in these hallways.

The holoscreen that had appeared when she woke in the nexus now reappeared. _"Welcome to my humble abode! I have a plethora of activities planned for my guests during their stay here, and they're sure to keep you from boredom. First up, how about a nice little fight to keep you occupied?"_

Aer heard a distant cacophony of thuds and reached out with the Force to perceive what was happening. Thick barriers, much like the blast doors of the Temple, were closing around the entire section in which Aer was standing. The Caretaker was trapping her with an opponent. Or rather, two opponents. Aer had never seen any being that quite resembled these two in all her years exploring the galaxy. They appeared to be statues, much like the ones built atop the Senate hall around the time of the Jedi Purge, but they were capable of movement and thought. Both statues possessed weapons and were warily holding them as they, too, looked around. One was an imposing humanoid figure with wings, and the other was… a serpent with legs? And claws? And thumbs?

Since her opponents were currently making no move to attack and looked as confused as she was, Aer decided to scan the rest of her surroundings and size up the entire station. It consisted of a central hub connected by numerous spokes to three rings. From what Aer could detect, all of the warriors were in separate sections of the outermost ring. Several other sections apart from the one she was in were barricaded, but some were left unblocked. Even with just a cursory scan, Aer could tell that her opponents were, indeed, some of the multiverse's greatest warriors. By the very way they held themselves, it was apparent that all of them were more than capable of fighting. Even though they were mostly Human, they came from many separate universes. Aer noticed that there was another warrior from her galaxy on the station, one of the participants in the Battle of Endor. If she could meet him on friendlier terms, it would be nice to talk to someone from home after so long. Aer continued her survey of the station. Hmm… the outermost ring had traps scattered everywhere. Some of the tripping hazards in the hallways also served as resources for the competitors. She would have to find some water among the resources soon, now that she was awake and aware of her thirst again.

Moving on from the outermost ring, Aer could hardly sense anything. The spokes, the other rings, and the hub seemed to be shielded from perception by unknown means, presumably installed by the Caretaker to keep the rest of his lair secret until one progressed in the tournament. The Caretaker – himself? itself? – was completely shrouded and undetectable, though Aer guessed that he was probably watching the fighting from some secure location within Station S-6-S's central hub.

A new message on the holoscreen brought Aer back from her searching. _"Get going, now. Looking for me instead of fighting your opponent isn't going to get you anywhere."_

So the Caretaker could sense that Aer had attempted to peer into veiled sections of the station, huh? Just what powers did this secretive being possess? Well, Aer might as well listen to the Caretaker's advice and focus on the situation at hand for right now. She wasn't going to charge up to her opponents without examining them first, though, especially not since she had the wonderful advantage of telepathy on her side.

Aer had already seen the physical appearance of her first two opponents, but she had not delved into their minds yet. Reading them wasn't too difficult, since they were unaware that they had a telepathic opponent and were not sealing off their minds. Her opponents were from a world inhabited by three sentient species: Humans, a species called Oberon's Children, and the statue-like creatures, which were called gargoyles. The gargoyles once freely roamed their planet in clans, but years of clashing with Humans had greatly reduced their numbers. The humanoid gargoyle was named Vormund Der Kukens', and the serpentine one was named Beschutzer. Their clan had been destroyed long ago, Vormund surviving only because he had been frozen in stone for centuries. Beschutzer had actually perished in the past, but she had been resurrected by Vormund using a spell that had also granted her sentience. Further searching of the gargoyles' minds showed that Vormund had been the leader of his clan before a betrayal had trapped him in stone. He was only fighting because, if he won, the Caretaker promised to grant him one wish, enabling him to return to his clan's golden days and reunite with his close ones. Aer could sympathize. She had watched her friends and family eventually die off and join the Force over the millennia, but she had no wish of returning. Only the almighty spirits above knew how affected the course of galactic history would be by doing that. Still, Aer recognized the gargoyles as having a worthy cause and hoped that there would be some way for her to help them achieve it.

Aer needed to examine her advantages and disadvantages in case if conflict did break out, though. They were too massive for her to be able to take on their species' form, so she would remain smaller than them. Her resilience and physical power was lower than theirs, and they were more skilled in the ways of physical combat. It was also one-against-two in the fight, so Aer would be outnumbered. However, Aer had the great advantage of knowing her opponent's position and powers without them knowing hers. And she had the Force with her, even though Station S-6-S was nowhere near her home galaxy. If she utilized her mental attacks before Vormund and Beschutzer were able to utilize their physical ones, Aer should be able to defeat her opponents, no matter how unwilling she was to do such a thing.

_Might as well start acting before the Caretaker forces us to._ Aer wanted to see if she could convince Vormund and Beschutzer to form an alliance with her. They would still be able to move on, and Aer would be able to save lives as they went. The saved competitors would still be able to return to their worlds and live out their lives even if they didn't win the entire tournament.

Aer knew better than to approach her opponents for a direct conversation, for they might attack her when she was at a physical disadvantage if things went awry. Instead, she would contact Vormund and Beschutzer telepathically. If she used a little bit of distortion, Aer could make it sound like she was calling out to them through the hallways from a distance.

May the Force be with her in this attempt at persuasion. _"Hello? Can you understand me?"_ Aer hoped that the gargoyles spoke in a language that she understood. Their thoughts had been interpretable regardless of language, though, so maybe, just maybe, their words would, too, be comprehensible.

The gargoyles suddenly jolted and looked around, then at each other. They had a brief muttered exchange before looking around again and holding their weapons at the ready. Vormund spoke in accented Basic, "Ve can understand jou. But who are jou?"

So they spoke Basic after all. That was a relief; negotiating without being able to understand each other would be just tad bit tricky, no? And they hadn't seemed to realize that the voice speaking to them came from within their heads just yet. That was good, concealing her telepathy for now. _"I am Aer, a healer at heart, and I came here to save the lives of as many competitors as I can. Are you willing to consider an alliance for the furtherment of both your cause and mine?"_

"Vhat place does a healer have in zhis tournament of varriors?" Beschutzer said derisively. "If jou vanted to save lives, jou should have stayed away and saved jour own, little girl."

Ah, yes, Aer still sounded like a Human youth, even in telepathic communications. And she still received the level of respect that an average little girl would. That was most unfortunate. Well, at least her opponents would be less likely to think that she was incredibly dangerous and should be eliminated with extreme prejudice.

Vormund wisely warned, "Don't underestimate jour opponents here, Bes. Zhese people vere all picked for a reason." He then called out again, "I am sorry, healer, but I cannot accept jour offer."

_"Whyever not?"_ Aer inquired.

"I cannot trust anyvone besides Beschutzer on zhis place. And even if ve vere to be allies, ve vould eventually have to split. I vant to vin zhis tournament, but I do not vant to betray anyvone in the process. Besides, the Caretaker vill not allow either vone of us to move on until vone side has been defeated. And I do not intend to be the side zhat stays behind."

Aer would have to defeat her opponent in order to progress? The Caretaker hadn't told her that, the scheming jerk. Well, that certainly threw a hydrospanner into her plans of peace.

Vormund continued, "Beschutzer and I are fighting to return to our home, our family. If jou are so villing to help others, vill jou allow us to advance instead?"

If only Aer could do that. But now that she would have to be defeated for them to move on, she could not let that happen. Aer didn't know for sure if the Caretaker would allow her to remain on Station S-6-S if she was defeated but left alive. If she was sent away, she wouldn't be able to prevent more bloodshed and possibly save more precious lives. Vormund and Beschutzer truly had a good cause, and defeating the gargoyles and their wish would cause Aer great sadness. It would be better to leave them with their lives and move on to save others', though. The alternative was letting them win this round, which could prevent her from saving lives and could cause them to go against a less merciful opponent who would destroy them without hesitation. Aer had already detected a few competitors who would do such a thing. Though she hated to make a decision of which she knew the gargoyles' wouldn't approve, Aer knew she would have to take them out of the running.

_"I, too, am sorry. I cannot accept your proposition either, for I could save more lives by moving on,"_ Aer sent resignedly.

"Zhen I am afraid zhat ve must fight," Vormund said gravely. "If I—"

Beschutzer interrupted, "Vait. Vormund, did zhat voice sound strange to you?"

_Kriff._ They were beginning to notice that Aer was using telepathy.

"…As a matter of fact, _ja_, it did."

And now they were suspicious. Fantastic.

"I zhink she's talking directly into our minds. I feel like I vould have been able to hear her clearly even if I had covered my ears," Beschutzer theorized.

Spot on. Aer had lost quite a bit of her advantage now.

"Vell, if she can speak into our minds, vho knows vhat else she can do? Ve must block her out now! She could be planning an attack as ve speak, for all ve know," Vormund realized.

And then the two minds suddenly sealed themselves off to Aer.

* * *

It wasn't all that obvious at first. Aer could still "see" Vormund and Beschutzer with the Force, and she could still "hear" their hushed conversation. But if she tried to read their thoughts, Aer would run headlong into a barrier. It wasn't completely impenetrable, she could already detect, but since the gargoyles' wills were as solid as stone, it would take quite a bit of effort to pass through. If they had trained in the art of mental shielding before, their walls could quite possibly be completely impassable. Even at this level of shielding, Aer would not be able to influence the gargoyle's actions very much at all unless she devoted all of her focus on it for an extend period of time. She could use telekinesis to push them back or keep them away, but that would only delay the actual fighting and cause her to lose energy faster. Fine, then. If the Caretaker wanted a fight, he would get a fight.

Vormund was guardedly advancing down the corridor, Beschutzer prowling behind him. They were going to take the initiative and hunt Aer down, then. It might not take them very long, either; before the duo had barricaded their minds, she had gleaned that Beschutzer was extremely skilled at stalking prey of all sorts, be it rodent, fowl, Human, or Human look-alike. Aer would have to be very careful to remain hidden as they searched.

Hmm… what objects in her environment could Aer use to her advantage? She didn't want to expend energy on a mental attack just yet, and she still had a bit of time to plan. If she continued down her hallway and turned left she would find a flamethrower hidden in the walls, ready to fire at any passerby. Nah, Aer didn't want to lure her opponents into something that potentially deadly. One of the crates two corridors down contained some stormtrooper rations and water. Opening the crate and ration cans would create a lot of noise, however, and alert Beschtuzer to Aer's position. She would have to wait until after she defeated her opponents, then, if that ever happened. What else could Aer utilize? There. Five hallways down and two rights. A section of the floor would collapse when stepped on, dropping the unaware trespassers into a pit with steep, slick sides. The floor would then return to its normal position, trapping the victims even further. The fall might harm the gargoyles a little bit, but it wouldn't be fatal. And Vormund and Beschutzer should be adaptable enough to figure a way out eventually. Then Aer would feel morally okay with using this method of elimination.

Aer softly crept toward the trap, remembering the path she took. Though it was unlikely that she would have to return to her original spot, Aer would rather not get lost in any eerily dark hallways again. Vormund and Beschutzer weren't heading towards her yet, so she still had some time to examine the trap up close. Once Aer got there, she noticed that the pit was deeper than she had expected. An unsuspecting faller, especially one with drawn weapons, could be seriously injured when hitting the unyielding metal floor. Aer would have to break the gargoyles' fall with something if she didn't want them to start bleeding internally or whatever their species did. _Let's see…_ She could use the wooden crates scattered throughout the halls to line the bottom of the pit. They would work, and the supplies in some of them could also be used to help Vormund and Beschutzer escape after they recovered from the impact.

Lifting the crates telekinetically wouldn't be too difficult. Aer would just have to be extra careful not to create excessive noise while doing so. It was opening the trap that was the problem. Aer had no idea if triggering the floor's pressure-based collapse mechanism would create a sound or not, and using the Force to open it would certainly raise a racket and maybe even damage the mechanism so it wouldn't work when needed. To be on the safe side, Aer would need a distraction to mask any potential noise. One way would be to send the gargoyles a concentrated wave of white noise – especially potent so as to be detectable even with their protective mental barriers – and to put pressure onto the floor while doing so. If the Force was with her, Vormund and Beschutzer would be surprised by the noise and not focused on finding Aer for a moment.

Their reactions weren't quite as strong as Aer had hoped. Vormund and Beschutzer's mental blocks truly must have been durable, for they only seemed minorly annoyed instead of somewhat startled. Aer guessed that they had been expecting a mental attack and had already conditioned their minds to be prepared for something of the sort. Well, she had managed to open the floor without notice, at least. Now she would have to hold the door open while simultaneously placing the crates on the bottom. The seconds ticked by. Thirty. Sixty. Ninety. And done. Sixteen crates, all that Aer could find nearby, rested in the pit. Three of them contained objects she hadn't bothered to check since she was already using her mind for more essential tasks. Aer sent out another wave of white noise to mask the closing floor, and she was off to lure the gargoyles into the modified trap.

* * *

Aer had only just returned to the hallway where she had been originally deposited by the portal when the holoscreen reappeared yet again. _"I'm getting impatient now. Where's the action?"_ The Caretaker was displeased. That did not bode well…

The same barriers that surrounded Aer's section of the station now slammed down and blocked off the side hallways stemming from the one she was in now. Force-sensing revealed that the only paths left open were the ones that led to the trap and the ones that would lead Vormund and Beschutzer directly to Aer. And they were beginning to catch on. _Ktahktahktahktahktah_. Aer had originally planned to avoid their weapons by frequently dodging into side corridors while leading them to the trap. If they became suspicious after a while, she would have used a telekinetic push to bring them over the trap's entrance. But now she had no side passages to duck into and no crates to hide behind. The enemy was steadily approaching, and her energy was too low to pull off a game-winning psychological attack. Aer would have to brace herself and make a run for it...

Vormund rounded the corner and entered the other end of the hallway, Beschutzer right beside him. They stopped and stared. Aer stopped and stared. After finally meeting him in the flesh – since he didn't seem to be made of stone after all – and seeing him with her own eyes, Aer saw just truly how gargantuan Vormund was. He looked as if he could easily have made a dent in the ceiling using only his bare fists if he wanted. And Beschutzer was even more sinewy and graceful in person. For another moment no one moved, no one spoke.

Then Beschutzer broke the silent standoff by remarking, "Jou are a bit shorter zhan I had expected."

Well, it was for a good reason! A smaller form required less energy to maintain its metabolism! And Aer needed all the energy she could get right now!

"Ve meet at last, healer. It vould seem that zhe Caretaker has gotten tired of your hiding," Vormund boomed, his voice echoing off of the walls.

So they thought that she had only been hiding, not plotting their literal downfall. That was good. They'd be more likely to attribute the running she was about to do to fear than to a trap.

Vormund pointed his sword. Beschutzer nocked an arrow. And Aer broke off into the first sprint she had done in over 5,000 years.

* * *

While rounding the first corner Aer slipped and lost her balance for a moment. Her coordination (or lack thereof) was awfully messed up after so long, and, already, she was getting tired. An arrow lodged itself into the wall right where her torso had been a moment ago. Beschutzer, with her beastly speed, was gaining rapidly, Vormund thundering along behind.

"Cowardice vill get jou nowhere, child!" Beschutzer shouted with contempt. With astounding fluidness she reared back on her hind limbs for a brief moment while nocking and firing an arrow, not once breaking her stride. Aer barely had time to form a shield with the Force to deflect the arrow from its path. It had been heading straight at her abdomen. A truly impressive shot, given the rapid firing, the distance from its target, and the difficult angle. But Aer had no time to admire her opponents' skills _when she was supposed to be running away from them right now_. Oh, whoops. She quickly stood back up and continued running.

The stream of arrows continued to pelt Aer's telekinetic shield, increasing in frequency as time went on. Both the soft, sure-footed footsteps and the heavy, powerful footsteps were getting closer. Aer could try to enhance her speed using the Force, but maintaining her shield while doing so would drastically drain Aer of the scarce energy she had left. Directing her telekinesis towards individual arrows at a time instead of keeping a constant shield would take more focus, but at least she wouldn't collapse in the middle of a hallway before reaching the trap.

Aer used her Force-speed to hightail it down the hallway towards her next turn. She reached out with the Force and shoved Beschutzer's bow and currently-unused sling away from its owner. That would buy her a few seconds. _Whoosh. _Oh. An arrow had nearly grazed Aer's neck when her attention had been diverted to impeding Beschutzer. She would have to be extremely careful not to let such a potentially fatal mistake happen again.

Vormund had caught up with Beschutzer, who had been forced to turn back to pick up her weapons. Faintly Aer could hear him saying, "Don't aim for any vital parts, _Fr__eundin_. Ve aren't trying to kill her, only defeat her." Well, at least everyone had similar intentions. Now Beschutzer had retrieved her bow and was continuing her hail of arrows. Aer was almost at the corner. One blocked. Two. Three. Four. Beschutzer was shooting too quickly! Five. Six. Seven. And, finally, an attack that went through.

Aer's leg exploded in pain. It hadn't been an arrow that had hit her; it was a spiky metal ball launched from Beschutzer's sling. In the heat of the moment, Aer thought that the agony was certainly the most extreme sensation she had ever felt, but that was probably the 5,000 years of physical isolation speaking. She was vaguely aware that Vormund was closing in with his sword as she lay crumpled on the floor. _Get up! Keep going! You can't give in! You can't lose!_ Aer's mind shouted at her body. Impossibly slowly, her body was standing up. _Act faster! Do you want to fail _now_?!_ She was limping around the corner now. _JUST_ _RUN!_ Okay, okay, fine. Aer was picking up her pace now. _Get over the trap before they round the corner!_ Working on that. She'd have to jump. With a damaged leg. Fun. _Jump now!_ Aer leapt forward blindly, hoping that her momentum would carry her over the trap. _You made it. _Aer muttered a half-delirious thank-you to the Force. _But still keep running!_ Keep running? Why do that? Oh, so she could trick her opponents into thinking that there had been no trap. Okay. Goodness, that was a disturbing memory lapse. Aer really did need to rest right now.

Vormund and Beschutzer turned into the hallway at the same time. As Aer looked back _Just a few steps farther and… yes! _

The floor caved in.

Surprised shouts were heard.

The messy smashing of wood. The loud thudding of impact. And the softer thudding that indicated the closure of the floor, trapping two victims beneath its surface for the time being.

Was it over? Did that qualify as a defeat?

Tired, battered, bloodied, and spent, Aer leaned against a wall and slid onto the unyielding metal floor. She should really give her opponents an apology for their undeserved fate now. But she hadn't spoken with her real voice for so long, and her throat was so dry, it was bound to cause some health issue or another...

...Physical limitations be damned, Aer was going to listen to her conscience instead. "I h-hope that you're okay..._*cough*_...Sorry for everything I've done-_*cough*_-to you. If we're all still around later, I can help heal the damage I've- _*cough*_-caused you. M-maybe if we meet again, I can apol-apologize correctly. _*cough*_ May the Force be with you two, always."

She waited for a moment in the hopes that her message might be heard and acknowledged. Eh, the gargoyles were probably unconscious or too disoriented to respond at the moment. And Aer needed to rest NOW; she couldn't wait around for a reply any longer.

But before she fell into a healing trance (this time a controlled one, thankfully), Aer thought she heard a voice answer back.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**And this concludes the first round of the tournament. Not the most direct and action-packed fight scene in the history of fight scenes, but it serves its purpose. If I win this round, I will be writing a second round against another opponent. If I do not win but my opponent leaves Aer alive (which, update update, Riyappe did! But we still don't know whose story moves on yet...), there is still the option of writing a spectator entry, in which Aer will still remain on the station but no longer be an active competitor.**

**Thank you to Rapidfyrez for organizing this tournament, Riyappe Paws for being such a worthy opponent, and everyone else in the tournament for being absolutely incredible writers, all of them. I hope to see you in the next round!**

_**Star**_**_ Wars_ and _Gargoyles_ are free realms of their own; thus, I do not claim proprietary rights over them. Vormund and Beschutzer were created by Riyappe Paws, and Aer was created by yours truly.**

**Let's wait and see what the Caretaker has to throw at the warriors next...**


End file.
